Realism and Christian Faith: God, Grammar, and Meaning

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Cambridge University Press (2003) | English | ISBN 0521524156 | 286 pages | PDF | 2.02 MB

The question of realism – that is, whether God exists independently of human beings – is central to much contemporary theology and church life. It is also an important topic in the philosophy of religion. This book discusses the relationship between realism and Christian faith in a thorough and systematic way, and uses the resources of both philosophy and theology to argue for a Christocentric narrative realism. Many previous defences of realism have attempted to model Christian belief on scientific theory, but Moore argues that this comparison is misleading and inadequate on both theological and philosophical grounds. In dialogue with speech act theory and critiques of realism by both non-realists and Wittgensteinians, a new account of the meaningfulness of Christian language is proposed. Moore uses this to develop a regulative conception of realism according to which God’s independent reality is shown principally in Christ and then through Christian practices and the lives of Christians.

The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus: What's So Good About the Good News

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Jesus came preaching, but the church wound up preaching Jesus. Why does the church insist upon making Jesus the object of its attention rather than heeding his message? Esteemed Harvard minister Peter J. Gomes believes that excessive focus on the Bible and doctrines about Jesus have led the Christian church astray. "What did Jesus preach?" asks Gomes. To recover the transformative power of the gospel—"the good news"—Gomes says we must go beyond the Bible and rediscover how to live out Jesus' original revolutionary message of hope:

"Dietrich Bonhoeffer once warned against cheap grace, and I warn now against cheap hope. Hope is not merely the optimistic view that somehow everything will turn out all right in the end if everyone just does as we do. Hope is the more rugged, the more muscular view that even if things don't turn out all right and aren't all right, we endure through and beyond the times that disappoint or threaten to destroy us."

This gospel is offensive and always overturns the status quo, Gomes tells us. It's not good news for those who wish not to be disturbed, and today our churches resound with shrill speeches of fear and exclusivity or tepid retellings of a health-and-wealth gospel. With his unique blend of eloquence and insight, Gomes invites us to hear anew the radical nature of Jesus' message of hope and change. Using examples from ancient times as well as from modern pop culture, The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus shows us why the good news is every bit as relevant today as when it was first preached.

Mormon Faith in America

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The Church of the Latter-day Saints, or the Mormon faith, is said to be the fastest growing religion in the world today. In the past thirty years it has increased its membership by 220 percent to eleven million followers today, of which almost six million live outside the United States. This volume explores the unique personality of the Mormon faith, its birth in early America, and the ways that Mormonism and America have grown up together. From founder Joseph Smith to celebrated golfer Johnny Miller, from Brigham Young to former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young, from senator Orrin Hatch to members of the popular singing Osmond family - the Mormons are an important part of American history and culture.

True Sexual Morality

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Crossway Books | 2004-11-09 | ISBN: 1581344856 |528 pages | PDF | 1,5MB

Daniel Heimbach examines the biblical teachings on sexual morality as well as four counterfeit views that have crept into our “sexually revolutionized” society. He gives us an in-depth look at the moral relativism that has spread through our culture and opens our eyes to the effects that nonbiblical sexual choices have on individuals, the family, the church, and the culture.

“I have never seen anywhere this kind of compelling analysis. This may be the most important book written in our generation.”